Religious Insanity
by ImTtlyTheHero
Summary: Hidan thought he was the only true immortal in the world. Well, he was wrong. Enter: Kitai Misuto, one of Orochimaru's mental experiments gone wrong. KitaiKiyo, violence/gore
1. About Kitai

Please, don't ask -.-" I really wanted to get this up, and I'll start posting the story soon.

* * *

**Name:** Kitai Misuto

**Name meaning:** Dangerous mist

**Age:** 16

**Gender:** Male

**Element:** Water and wind

**Village:** Kirigakure

**Rank:** Chuunin

**Height:** 167.64 cm or 5.5 ft

**Weight:** 52 kg or 115 lb

**Eye color:** Blood red

**Hair color:** A red just a few shades darker than his hair.

**Personality**: Unpredictable, cold, harsh, bipolar, mentally unstable, not very intelligent, sarcastic, a trickster

**About him:** Kitai was used as a test subject for a mind-altering drug by Orochimaru. This caused Kitai's mind to break and sent him spiraling into insanity. He is a devoted Jashinist, to the point of being obsessed with his religion. He has a solid black Jashin symbol tattooed onto his left shoulder and a silver rosary on a beaded chain around his neck, similar to Hidan's. Kitai is known to seduce women and kill them, along with some men as well, earning him the rank of S-rank criminal at the age of 16. Kitai wears a marked Kiri headband sideways on his head, similar to the Akatsuki custom of slashing their headbands to signify membership. He is notably shot-tempered, making for a fiery temper and tendancy to kill when angered. He has a curse mark on the back of his neck, similar to Tayuya's from the Sound 4, but with 3 smaller curved lines between the main marks when in its passive state and much like Kimimaro's when active. However, due to his mental instability, his curse mark, when active, can quite literally strip the shattered remnants of his sanity from him, causing an overwhelming bloodlust that is impossible to ignore. This also means that once active, Kitai can hardly rein it in, thus meaning he normally must let the curse run its course before it will release him.

Being a Jashinist, Kitai also has the ability to forge a curse by consuming an enemy's blood and standing within a Jashin mark drawn in blood on the ground, like Hidan's. He has a cursed form for this as well, resembling Hidan's but with some minor differences in the markings on his face. He is immortal, thankfully for him. Kitai's main advantage for his curse is his ability to create weapons from his blood by focusing chakra into the blood. The blood weapons are practically the same as regular weapons, but red in color and razor sharp. He also has black chakra wristblades that grow from his knuckles and out nearly a foot past the tip of his middle fingers on both hands. These, too, are razor sharp and can be created any time, though escpecially when Kitai is being held hostage by enemies and his hands are behind his back, as he can summon them and rip the captor's stomach out.

**Weaknesses:** Kitai has to take a shot every day thanks to Orochimaru's testing in order to maintain his scraps of sanity and his immortality, or he will go completely insane, according to Orochimaru, and become mortal. This is false, as this drug is what keeps Kitai insane, meaning that if he stopped taking it, he would lose his immortality but regain his sanity until he took the drug again. Since he has a limited supply, he has to return to Orochimaru every now and then to refill his supply. This is so Orochimaru can check up on Kitai's progress and give him a new dose of the drug that induced his insanity to see if he has perfected the formula yet.

Kitai also has a bounty of 7,000,000 Ryo on his head, making him a prime target for all bounty hunters out there, including Kakuzu.

* * *

this story is gonna focus around him xD


	2. How It Begins

_Fire._

_I can hear it. That cracking sound. I can feel its heat. I can see the flames licking at the walls._

_Blood._

_How much blood must be spilled?_

_How long until there's no more blood?_

_I can feel the fire lap at my legs, reaching for my waist, for my arms, trying to consume me._

_But there is no burn._

_I can feel something wet on my skin_

_But there's no pain._

_I can see my family, screaming, reaching for me._

_But there is nothing._

_I take a step forward._

_Blood._

_So easily spilled_

_Yet we rely on it for life._

_Or, should I say,_

_They rely on it for life._

_I am..._

_I am not like them._

_I can walk through these flames, without burning._

_I can bleed until there's nothing left, and still breathe._

_I can stop my heart, rip my heart out, but I cannot die._

_I am cursed._

_They are free._

_I see my mother, my sister._

_Their lips move, but there is no sound._

_Nothing..._

_But my heart..._

_What is this?_

_This cold feeling?_

Kirigakure.

A plume of smoke rises from the center, followed by a scream. The scream multiplies.

A boy stands, looking out at the burning house. A smile crosses his face, his red hair whipping across in front of red eyes.

His lips move, the message swept away by the winds.

"So long... Kirigakure...."

_Darkness..._

_My sight is black._

_I can hear a voice._

_Who is it?_

_Who are you?_

_Where am I?_

_He..._

_It's a man._

_He's calling my name_

_But I can't move._

_I feel a hand touch my forehead_

_And a voice tell me I'm safe._

_I feel something cold, round, touch my chest._

_He tells me it's a necklace,_

_That he is God._

_Jashin._

_He tells me that I am his now,_

_That I serve him,_

_And I must help him._

_How do I help you?_

_Sacrifice?_

_Immortal?_

_Why?_

_Why me?_

A boy lies unconscious against a tree, his hand clutching a chain tightly.

A gleaming rosary sits on top of his hand.

Jashin.

_I recoil, screaming as a shotgun blast of pain engulfs my head._

_I writhe against the bonds,_

_Cursing him in Jashin's name._

_A small pinprick on my skin._

_This tells me to brace myself,_

_That the torment is not over yet._

_I hear his voice,_

_Telling me to calm down._

_How can I calm down!_

_You're torturing me!_

_A cold hand touches my chest,_

_Holds me down._

_Another blossom of pain._

_I scream again,_

_Squirming against his hand._

_Something pierces my thoughts._

_Something cold numbs my mind._

_Then, as the cold passes,_

_Heat takes its place._

_Hotter, hotter_

_I can't stand it!_

_Make it stop!_

_I scream for Jashin_

_And recieve a smack_

_And a threat._

_I curse him again,_

_And struggle harder,_

_Though my efforts are in vain._

A boy lies in a cell, murmuring to himself.

He smiles and winces, whispering his god's name.

"Jashin-sama, curse him.

Help me end my torment and give him judgement."

_I am broken,_

_My mind shattered._

_Why is it me?_

_What have I done?_

_Well, it doesn't matter now._

_Now, it's only me._

_Me against the world_

_With Jashin-sama at my side.  
_

_**I'll make you all pay for this.**_


	3. Protege

"Alright, now for your exams!" Korui-sensei's voice blasted out into the air, causing the young class to cringe and half-cover their ears.

Standing at the head of the class was a woman with long white hair and piercing blue eyes, a hand on her hip and a wide smile on her face. Beneath her kind outside, though, was a tough interior that could scare even the toughest of ninja when she got mad.

"In order to pass this class and become Genin, you have to pass two exams that test your basic ninjutsu and taijutsu. The ninjutsu one, which is tomorrow, features a surprise jutsu that each of you had to learn, but I won't tell you which one. The taijutsu one, which is today, kids, is very simple: You just have to win against me!" Korui-sensei smiled as her students groaned and facepalmed, then laughed. "Just kidding! You just have to show me that you know how to fight, okay? No students are exempt from that test!"

All the students cheered but one boy in the back, a young boy with short blood red hair and just lighter red sat quietly, hands folded and a solemn expression on his face.

No one seemed to notice the boy until Korui-sensei's happy expression melted into a frown. "Hey, Kitai, something wrong?"

As soon as the boy's name left her lips, every single head in the room turned to see the oddball. Kitai's eyes shifted from their place on the wall to meet Korui-sensei's. "No, sensei, nothing's wrong." As he spoke, the soft tone of his voice seemed to echo through the room, sending shivers down the backs of some of the students.

Korui's mouth hardened into a thin line, but she didn't press the boy any more. "Alright, Kitai, just know you can talk to me about anything, okay?" Recieving a small nod from said student, she turned and clapped her hands together to get the students' attention. "ALRIGHT! Now, I'll be calling you kids up in alphabetical order to do your test, then class will be dismissed! Am I understood?"

All the students saluted and chorused, "YES MA'AM!"

~du~du~du~du~du~du~du~du~du~du~du~du~du~du~du~du~du~du~du~du~du~du~du~du~du~du~du~du~

Kitai sat quietly on the swing outside the acadamy, his eyes tracing patterns in the grass and his hands gripping the chain so hard it left imprints. He replayed the events of the day before in his head, reqinding and replaying the part where he passed the test.

_"Good job, Kitai! I couldn't even see that last one coming!" Korui-sensei's smile was genuine as she patted her young protege on the head._

_Kitai gave Korui a small smile. "You really think so, Korui-senpai?"_

_Korui smiled wider, clapping a hand down on Kitai's shoulder, scaring the poor boy half to death. "Oh, of course, Kitai-kun. You have talent, and speed. You should use it well, alright? And don't forget me when you become the next Kage, okay?"_

_Kitai grinned at his sensei, nodding enthusiastically. "I won't forget you, senpai! I promise!"_

_*20 minutes later*_

_Kitai was walking home when he overheard someone saying his name in the ramen shop a few blocks from his home. Thinking quickly, he jumped up and hid himself above the shop, straining his ears to hear what the voices were saying._

_"So did you hear about that Misuto kid?"  
__"Yeah, I heard he passed the Genin exams on his first try."  
__"Yeah! That kid thinks he's all that, but he's not, you know?"  
__"Uh-huh, and I even heard from Kat that Korui-sensei was congradulating him after school. Told him that he was gonna be Kage someday."  
__"Yeah right! A freak like him'll never make Kage!"_

_Kitai's heart fell through his chest and dropped like a stone into his stomach. His mind slowed, trying to wrap around what he just heard. A freak? Him? 'I don't understand! I never talk, how can this happen?'_

_Giving up on the hopeless mission to understand, Kitai stood to jump off the stand and return to his home as he had planned to do before. His foot slipped, but he caught himself an instant before he fell. Then, satisfied that he wasn't going to slip, he turned and fled to his home._

Kitai couldn't remember the time at home, mostly because it was too uninteresting, but also because he didn't want to remember.

His family had changed so much since he was younger. His father died on a mission and left him and his mother and sister alone in a small 1-story house. His mother was a drunk and a casino addict and normally gambled away all the money she earned, which meant Kitai and Aoi, his sister, had to earn money for the family. Aoi was nice to Kitai before she advanced to Genin and began acting worse than their mother to Kitai.

He turned and accidentally met the eyes of one of the girls standing by a grove of trees. He quickly turned and cringed, waiting for the insult that was sure to come.

But nothing happened.

Kitai slowly lifted his shoulders and dared another peek at the girl. He nearly jumped out of the swing when he realized she was standing right behind him, kneeled down to his level.

He shivered and turned to face her, his voice quivering. "A-are you gonna y-yell at me?" He couldn't help fear from creeping into his voice.

The girl shook her head, surprising the boy. "No, I wanna be your friend!" She smiled broadly.

Kitai stopped moving for a minute. He even stopped breathing, staring into her dark breen eyes, at the innocent gleam shining in them. He noticed how a lock of her short brown hair dangled over her eye, away from the rest, which was contained behind her ear. "Y-you're serious?" He asked, his voice ceasing most of the quiver. "You're not gonna hit me?"

The girl's grin disappeared, replaced by a confused frown. "No, why would I hit you?" she asked, arching one brown eyebrow.

He froze and quickly turned away. "I can't tell you..."

The girl sighed, then smiled. "My name's Yuna Yoshino, it's so nice to meet you!" she said, holding out her hand.

Kitai slowly turned again to meet her eyes. "M-my name's Kitai Misuto..." he whispered, shakily reaching out to shake hands with her.

Yuna smiled brightly. "Hahaha, I like your name!"

Kitai gave a short laugh. "I like yours too, Yuna-sama..."

And as Yuna sat next to Kitai, a bond was born between them that would last until the end of their lives, a friendship no one could break.

Kitai's first true friend.


	4. Graduation

Korui smiled, a warm feeling spreading through her body as she looked out to the cluster of Genin in front of her. Each one of them bore a headband, and a story.

Yuki, the smart, popular girl who was always so kind and respectful.  
Michiko, the dark girl who would have her moments of happiness, and her moments of total anger.  
Reika, the girl who, with her short boy-cut hair, seemed to be more of a man than a girl.  
Tenma, the boy who was always goofing off and showing off.  
Ayako, the mute girl with few friends and a big heart.  
Mariko, the blind boy who was as smart as they come, with a kind, inviting personality to match.  
Tsumi and Tsuki, the 'trouble twins', as nicknamed by the village. Tsumi was female while Tsuki was male.  
Yuna, a petite Yoshino girl with her cat partner, Ri, and a warm personality.  
And Kitai, the quiet boy who had only two friends, but was intelligent and powerful.

With a sigh, Korui stood up and peered out over the crowd. "Alright. All of you have passed the test to become Genin. All of you are strong enough to become ninja." She paused. "This, I hope you understand, brings great risk and responsibility. Several of you may die. No, all of you run the risk of dying."

Several of the new shinobi shuddered and looked to their friends, wondering if they had made a good choice.

"But, you all have chosen to serve your village. You are risking your lives to protect the greater good. This is a wonderful choice. I am proud of you." She wiped at her eyes, smiling. "I'm very proud of all of you."

With that, Korui picked up a sheet of paper and, giving the children- no, shinobi- a final smile, began calling out names.

"Yuki, Kazuo, Hoshiko, you three are Squad sensei is Tenshi."  
"Reika, Michiko, Tenma, you three are Squad 2. Your sensei is Aizen."  
"Ayako, Tsumi, Tsuki, you are Squad 3. Your sensei is Meiro." Korui winced when the twins started shouting and gave them a hard glare, shutting them up.  
"Mariko, Kitai, Yuna, you are Squad 4. Your sensei is Raye."

Kitai's eyes lit up when he heard Yuna's name after his own. He didn't show it, but he was glad to be teamed with his friend. He had honestly thought that he would have been teamed with Michiko, the one who had been teasing him all along. The rest of the list passed by in a blur, and quickly it was time to leave.

Korui stood at the door of the acadamy, smiling and giving her students a hug and wishing them luck in the world of the shinobi. Her smile widened, if possible, when Kitai, Yuna, and Mariko came to leave. She placed a hand on Mariko's shoulder, startling him. "Hey, you three. I want each of you to come back and visit me, alright?" She gave Kitai a proud look. Kitai-kun, promise me you'll visit." Kitai smiled and agreed. "And Yuna-chan, you too!" Yuna laughed and promised as well. "And Mariko-kun, I want you to visit too, but I really wish you luck on getting your eyes healed." Mariko thanked his senpai, a bright grin spreading across his face and lifting his dark aura.

Korui placed both hands on her hips and grinned. "Alright, you three! Go and make me proud!" She handed Yuna a slip of paper. "Your sensei will meet you here."

Giving their last goodbyes, Squad 4 set out to meet their sensei. Little did they know, it would only be one mission before their world was turned upside down and torn apart.

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**I realize that this chapter is painfully short, but that's because it's mostly a filler :D the next chapter moves a bit faster and is a bit longer**


	5. Raye's Test

Kitai paced around the tree, keeping a weary eye out for anyone coming close. Yuna lay spread out on the ground, half-asleep after waiting for nearly an hour. Mariko leaned against a tree across from Yuna, chakra tuned to keep an 'eye' out for anyone entering the area.

Yuna sighed and sat up, rubbing at her eyes. "Man, Raye-sensei is late!" she complained. Mariko and Kitai had to agree. They hadn't even met their sensei yet, and already they didn't like him! Or her. It could be either, as they honestly didn't know.

Mariko stiffened. "Someone's approaching." Yuna rose and walked to stand next to Kitai. Mariko remained where he was, now focused on the person's chakra.

Slowly, said person came into view. It was a female, with long black hair held up in a high ponytail, pale violet eyes, and a warm smile on her face. Her headband was tied loosely around her neck with a small heart pendant underneath. As she came nearer, Kitai caught the sight of a small white scar framing the right side of her face.

The woman smiled. "Hello. I assume you are Squad 4?" Recieving no response, she tried again. "My name is Raye. I was supposed to meet my squad here."

Mariko finally spoke up. "We are squad 4."

Raye smiled. "Oh, wonderful. I apologize for being so late, I got lost along the way." She placed a hand into a pouch on her belt and pulled out a small picture. "I hope you understand. I just came from my daughter's graduation of the acadamy. Although, I assume you just came from that as well. "She smiled at the photograph and replaced it in her pocket.

Kitai frowned. "Only an hour ago."

Raye gave him an apologetic smile. "Again, I'm very sorry." She then straightened. "Well, since we're here, let's get to know each other, ok?" She pointed to herself. "Here, I'll go first."

"My name is Raye Mizuki. I like sweet foods and dislike awkward moments. My goal in life is to be happy and make it worthwhile." She smiled and pointed to Mariko. "Mariko-kun, you next."

Mariko sighed. "My name is Mariko Yakomo. I like being alone and I dislike my inability to see. My goal in life is to prove that despite my handicap, I can still be one of the best ninja in history."

Kitai was next. "My name is Kitai Misuto. I like hanging out around the village with my limited amount of friends and I dislike my mother and sister, although I will not go into detail on why. My goal is to become like my father and be remembered as a hero."

Yuna was last. "My name is Yuna Yoshino. I love foreign foods and being with my friends and I dislike when people are rude to each other. My goal in life is to become Kage," she proudly said, "And show people that just because I'm a girl, doesn't mean I can't be a powerful ninja."

Raye nodded approvingly, proud of her new team. "Well, since you all seem so eager to prove yourselves, how about a little test?" Raye's smile changed to a challenging smirk. She held up two bells. "You guys just have to get these."

-------------  
Kitai and Yuna crouched behind a set of trees, shrouded by bushes and panting heavily. They had just tried to spring a trap and take the bells from Raye-sensei, but had failed. Yuna touched her cheek, wincing at the sting. She had been on the recieving end of a kunai ambush and had hardly escaped further injury.  
Kitai himself bore a long slash down his left arm, gained when he had pulled Yuna from the kunai's path.

Both shinobi kept a weary eye out for any signs of movement, wondering if Mariko had any luck in retrieving a bell.

Kitai slowly shifted into a half-standing position. "Yuna-chan, I'm going to go after the bells." Yuna gave Kitai a slight nod, and Kitai was gone.

Mariko cursed. He was lost. "Ugh, honestly! How did I manage to separate myself from my team? So stupid!" He was so into his fit that he failed to realize that he was being followed until it was too late.

Mariko sensed the presence and cursed again, diving to the right as something whistled past his ear. He impacted the ground hard enough to make his ears ring, disorienting him and rendering him inable to locate his enemy, as sound was his main defense.

Something grabbed his left arm and pinned it to his back, pressing something sharp to his neck. The person laughed, and Mariko realized that it was Raye-sensei. She leaned down close to his ear and whispered, "Game over, Mari-kun."

Mariko froze. "Damn."

------------  
Yuna lay on her stomach beneath a bush, peering around and surveying her position and situation. Kitai had been gone for nearly thirty minutes and she had seen no sign of Mariko-kun. She was beginning to think that she was the only hope this squad had to pass this test. Contemplating her choices, she chose to fight. She began to stand, then realized that if she stood, she would have more risk of being spotted. Keeping this in mind, she crouched and began slowly, silently, making her way across the field.

After a couple minutes of walking, she decided to stand. She had not heard anything and had not seen anyone. In fact, it was like everyone but her had left.

After another couple minutes of walking, she gave up and slouched against a small tree. "Man, it's a ghost town out here..." she muttered, sighing and running a hand through her long brown hair.

She heard a crack from behind her and leapt to her feet, pulling a kunai from her pouch in an instant.

A dark shape emerged from the shadows and her teammate's red hair and eyes were illuminated. Yuna sighed and put the kunai away, smiling. "Kitai-chan! You sure scared me!" she scolded.

Kitai didn't respond. Yuna frowned. This was unlike him. Despite his appearence, he was actually a very talkative person. "Kitai-chan?"

A second later, Yuna was slammed into the ground. Her vision blurred from the impact and she was momentarily stunned. Kitai hovered over her, his eyes blank and a kunai pressed to her neck. Yuna realized with horror that he was under a Genjutsu, and she had no idea of how to diffuse it.

If she didn't figure it out, she was going to die.


	6. Mariko's Mystical Ally

Mariko was confused. He couldn't hear anything, not even the normal sounds that one would hear in the woods. His arms were tied behind him, bound at the wrists and to a tree. The familiar weight of his katana, normally tied to his back, was gone.

He listened hard, straining to hear anything at all. Nothing. Nothing but silence.

He shivered. Someone was coming, he could sense it.

Something touched his chin and tilted his face up, until he was sure that could he see, he would be looking into the person's face. The person reached behind him and tugged at the rope binding him. "Want free?"

Mariko paused. It was a female... although he couldn't place the voice. It sounded like she was speaking through a fog, almost like white noise.

He finally found his voice. "Um... yes, if you please. But, who are you?"

The unknown woman laughed and snapped the rope, freeing Mariko's hands. She offered a hand to him. "Your teammates need your help, Mariko-kun." Her voice was wavering like a bad radio signal as he snapped his head up in shock. "What? Why?!"

The woman didn't reply.

Mariko frantically extended his chakra, searching for the woman. But she had disappeared. He leapt to his feet, his mind running through what she told him.

_"Your teammates need your help, Mariko-kun..."_

He made up his mind in a split second: He had to find them. Thousands of scenarios ran through his head, none of them good. With an exasperated groan, he set off, searching for Yuna's chakra.

--------------------------------------------  
Yuna froze. If she moved, the point of the kunai would pierce her throat and possibly kill her, and she really didn't need that at the moment. Kitai towered over her, his eyes blank and his mouth set.

Her mouth quivered. "K-Kitai, please! You've got to control yourself!" she begged, hoping she could get him to come to his senses.

Kitai didn't respond. He didn't have to.

A dark shape hurtled out of the trees and slammed into Kitai, knocking him sprawling on the ground and landing solidly on his chest. Yuna gasped.

"Mariko!"

---------------------------------  
Mariko stood up and glanced toward Yuna's voice. It was her all right. From what he could tell, Kitai had been attacking her. Why, he was sure he knew.

Kitai's chakra was flowing strangely, a sign of Genjutsu.

He shook his head. Raye-sensei was serious. She was not going easy on them at all.

Mariko placed a hand on Kitai's chest. "Ka! Release!" Kitai stiffened and gasped quietly. His chakra flow steadied, and he slowly relaxed. He sat up. "Ugh... man, what happened?" he asked, rubbing his head and looking at Yuna with a funny expression.

Mariko sighed. "You were under a genjutsu and attacked Yuna. I'm assuming that Raye-sensei thinks she can treat us as Jounin, since you seemed you were intent to kill."

Kitai frowned. "That makes no sense... Why would she treat three fresh Genin like Jounin enemies?" he wondered.

Yuna shrugged. "I'm not sure. All I do know is that we need to figure something out, or find her and ask if we can take a break."

Mariko nodded. "Agreed. But, we should stay together. Every time we separated, something happened. Let's stick together, it should make some difference."

Kitai and Yuna nodded and said together, "Agreed!"

---------------------------------  
Raye stood silently in the trees, cloaked with darkness. She allowed a small smile to cross her face. "Well, it seems they're learning... now let's see if they'll stick to it."

With a light laugh, she disappeared.


	7. Shadows in the Night

Kitai crouched beneath the cover of trees, peering out cautiously. Seeing nothing of immediate danger, he gave a short signal and raced off to his next hiding spot.

Yuna did the same. She leaned against her tree and peeked around the edge, scanning the area for anything of interest. She too saw nothing and gave another signal, then changed locations as well.

Mariko stood up, and slowly made his way to the center of the field. With Yuna and Kitai covering him, he was confident that he could defeat Raye, or at least hold her off long enough for Kitai and Yuna to get the bells. Either way, they won.

A peal of laughter echoed through the field, sending chills down the Genins' backs. Raye appeared in front of Mariko, smirking. "You think a direct approach will work?" she asked, smiling.

Mariko didn't bat an eyelash. "Of course. Don't you know?" he answered, giving Raye a smirk of his own.

Raye's smile wavered. "Is that right? Then why not have Yuna and Kitai attack with you?"

Mariko paused. "It's better to have cover than to have direct power."

Raye nodded. "True."

Without warning, Mariko charged. He had his katana against Raye's throat in a second. Raye froze. "Still think we're not strong?" he teased, allowing a small smile to cross his face.

Raye grimaced. "Good tactics."

Mariko gave a single signal with his free hand, and Kitai and Yuna leapt from their spots and claimed the bells from Raye's belt. Raye smiled. "I knew you could do it."

Yuna frowned. "You did?"

Raye laughed. "Why else would I fight you like I would a Jounin? Why else would I put so much effort into it?" she replied. "I know you three are strong. You just have to work together for your true power to surface." She winced. "Mariko-kun, could you move the sword? I don't want to get my head cut off yet."

Mariko nodded and sheathed his sword. Raye sighed and relaxed.

Kitai shook his head. "You used Genjutsu on me... why?"

Raye paused. "Well, if you couldn't break through that Genjutsu, I would have had to send you back to the acadamy."

Kitai blushed. "I.... Well, we can thank Mariko for breaking that..." he murmured.

Raye laughed and Yuna smiled. Mariko didn't respond, but Yuna could see a light blush appearing on his cheeks. Yuna laughed too, causing both boys' blushes to deepen.

Mariko looked down. "I don't want to take the credit... Yuna came up with the plan..."

Yuna hugged Mariko. "But you're the one who led us, and you're the reason we did it!" she cheered, planting her hand on Mariko's head. Mariko blanched.

Raye smiled. "I think this calls for a little celebration."

The three Genin cheered.

----------------------------------  
Akurei was in the middle of cleaning up after her last customer when a group of four shinobi entered, laughing and having a good time. She smiled. Apparently, their good mood was affecting everything, because the bar seemed to light up and become a bit more joyful.

She leaned over the bar and gave them a welcoming smile. "Hey! What'cha all wanting?" she asked.

The tallest one, a woman with long black hair, smiled back. "Hello. We'd like..." She consulted the other three. "...two barbeque platters and two of your special, please."

Akurei nodded. "Comin' right up! Go and pick yourselves out a seat, anywhere you like!" She winked. "Though I recommend the seats by the window if you're looking for a celebration. I hear the atmosphere over there's real light." Wiping a wisp of white hair from in front of her dark violet eyes, she turned and disappeared into the kitchen.

Raye slid into the booth, giving a bright smile to her students. Yuna slid in next to Raye, and Mariko and Kitai sat next to each other on the other side. In a couple minutes, they were perfectly at home.

Kitai was in the middle of a joke when Akurei appeared at the table with a pad and pencil. "Hey y'all, hope I'm not interrupting! Just wonderin', what'cha all wanting to drink?" she asked.

The four ordered their drinks, which the girl swiftly copied down. She gave them a light smile and was gone again.

Kitai smiled. "Wonder if she runs this place? You know, all alone?"

Mariko shook his head. "She doesn't look more than 16. She probably works here."

Yuna nodded. "Yeah, I bet she's the owner's daughter." She chuckled, resting her head on her fist. "Why else would she be running the counter?"

Kitai shrugged. "Maybe he just trusts her."

Yuna smiled. "Maybe."

A few minutes later, the group were happily eating their homestyle meal, and even invited Akurei to join them. She politely refused, since she was on-duty and would get fired for something like that. She instead told them that she was off in a couple days and could go out with them for a day then.

Kitai was estatic. His 14th birthday was coming up, and he was really excited about it. He hoped his mother and sister would cool down then, let him enjoy his birthday.

After they finished their meal, they stayed for a little while talking. By the time they parted, the sun was setting behind the hills. They bid Akurei goodbye and thanked her for the wonderful night.

Two men stood just outside their range of vision, observing the parting with no emotion.  
One man faced the other. "Is that the girl? The white-haired one?"  
"It is." the other replied.  
Without another word, they vanished into the night.


	8. Mother's Rampage

Kitai cringed. His mother was on a rampage again, and even Aoi was scared. She had come home drunk and angry in the middle of the night, and woke Kitai by flinging a knife at him and cutting his cheek open. Now she was screaming at them and throwing everything she could get her hands on.

He was scared. He didn't know which day would be his last, or if he would suffer until he moved out. All he knew was, he was afraid. Very afraid.

He ducked as his mother flung a long pole at him. Where she got it, he didn't know. "You little mother fucking asshole! I should just kill you right now an' save myself the trouble later!" she screamed.

Kitai shrunk away. "I'm sorry!" He didn't know what he was sorry for, he just knew it was the only thing that calmed her down.

It didn't work.

Kitai yelped and barely avoided being hit by her fist. She growled at him, baring her teeth. Her long, red hair was tangled and her blue eyes were filled with hate. Kitai shrank against the wall, and tried not to meet her eyes. "You think you're funny? You think you're cute?! God damn it, kid, you're damn wrong! Just looking at you makes me sick!" she spat.

He looked to his sister, silently pleading for help. Aoi just looked away and pretended nothing was happening, much to Kitai's dismay. He turned back to his mother just in time to see her fist coming straight for his face.

Everything went black.

-------------------------------  
Yuna sat silently in the waiting room, her brown eyes trained on the tile underneath her. Next to her sat Mariko, also silent, and Raye, who stared at the door with a worried grimace set on her face.

Kitai had been admitted an hour ago with superficial injuries and slight head trauma. His mother had been taken into custody for abuse, and his sister had been questioned but deemed unrelated to the attack, as they put it.

He had been unconscious ever since he'd been found.

Yuna sighed. It was hard not to cry. "How.... could this happen to Kitai? I mean, he never told us there was any problem at home..."

Raye shook her head. "He didn't want us to know. I mean, if this was happening to you, would you have the guts to tell?"

Yuna looked down. "Oh... no..."

Raye nodded. "Precisely." Having proven her point, she sat back in her chair and stared at the door again.

Several minutes of silence passed.

Finally, a nurse, clad in white, approached. She adjusted her glasses. "I assume you're here for Misuto?"

Mariko stood. "Yes."

She gestured for them to stand. "He's awake and ready to see visitors."

--------------------  
Kitai lay in the hospital bed, an IV drip attached to his wrist and a bandage encircling his head. He looked up and smiled lightly when his teammates entered, wincing slightly at the pain in his throbbing head. He struggled to sit up, but Raye placed a hand on his shoulder. "No, you need to stay lying down."

He started to protest, but quickly stopped. Yuna burst into tears, crushed to see her friend in such a state.

Kitai's eyes widened. "No, don't cry... Yuna-san, please stop crying!" he begged, reaching out to try and comfort her. His heart moniter quickened its pace.

Raye acted quickly and calmed Yuna down, then proceeded to calm Kitai. "Shh... If your heart rate gets to high, they're sure to kick us out." she whispered, stroking Kitai's hair. He didn't bother protesting, and slowly the moniter's beep returned to normal. Raye smiled.

Mariko sighed. "Kitai-san, they're saying you'll be in here for at least three days. You'll miss our first mission..."

Kitai's face fell. "But... our first mission... wasn't it-"

Yuna nodded. "It was to go help Yukigakure recover from a snowstorm. It was gonna pay good..." he murmured.

"Well," Raye stood up. "We won't leave without you. I'll go tell the Mizukage we can't do it." she replied, turning and heading for the door. "Yuna, Mariko, you two can stay here with Kitai. I'll go tell him. I'm sure he won't like it." She turned and gave her students a bright smile, then headed out the door.

--------------------------------  
Raye shuddered. Facing the Mizukage and telling him Squad 4 couldn't make the mission was not pleasant. She shook her head. "Man, I'm not going to be able to hear well for a week..." she muttered.

"Raye-sama!"

She paused and turned. "Yes?"

A young blonde-haired girl rushed up, panting heavily. Her violet eyes were full of panic. "Have you seen a girl with white hair and violet eyes?" she begged, "She went missing yesterday, and I'm getting really worried! She's my onee-chan and if we don't find her, I'm scared she's gonna die!"

Raye's eyes widened as she remembered the girl from yesterday at the diner.

_"Comin' right up! Go and pick yourselves out a seat, anywhere you like!"_

"Hey y'all, hope I'm not interrupting!"

She glanced back up at the girl. "Don't worry, we'll find her. Come with me, we'll set up a mission with the Mizukage." She took the girl's hand and headed back toward his office. "What's your name?"

The girl paused. "My name?"

"Yes, your name."

"Kasuki Otoma. My sister is Akurei Otoma, heir to the Otoma clan's leadership position."


End file.
